IID weighing solutions to potential water overrun

IMPERIAL — The Imperial Irrigation District is considering the best course of action to mitigate a projected overuse of water derived from the Colorado River through the end of 2022.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, IID is projected to exceed its annual allotment of water by 82,334 acre-feet by Dec. 31.

One acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, according to watereducation.org, or enough water to cover an acre of land, about the size of one football field, 1 foot deep. An average California household uses 0.5 to 1 acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use.

“We are getting a lot of questions and interest in Reclamation’s overrun forecast,” Tina Shields, IID water manager, told the Board of Directors during its regular April 12 meeting. “If you look at their forecast, it is really an estimate of the scheduled usage versus the actual usage to date. Really, it is an operational tool meant to track your water use and see if it is aligned with your scheduled use.”

The forecast is often adjusted based on real-time market conditions, Shields continued.

“It is also a tool that is solely limited to water supplies coming off the river. They don’t take into account any internal supplies, any excess conservation or any water stored in upriver facilities that might be used to supplement those accounts.”

Shields said the forecast is important to study as it can help guide water usage decisions, but that it is not the only factor that is considered.

“It is more of a trending tool,” Shields said.

Other factors include weather patterns and user demand.

23-year drought

The issue of water availability is compounded by a continuous drought in the Southwestern United States, which has been ongoing for the past 23 years.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of October 2021, Lake Powell and Lake Mead — the two largest reservoirs in the United States — were sitting at historically low levels. Lake Powell and Lake Mead feed the Colorado River, which snakes its way down through Mexico.

IVP FILE PHOTO In this 2018 photo, an IID zanjero uses a gate bar to open the mouth of Lateral 15 at the northwest intersection of McCabe and Barbara Worth Roads.